RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Rob Dobie on January 23, 2012, 01:10:48 pm
-
Anyone remember the Norton High Frequency Converter circa 1960s/70s? I've just found this one hidden in a box in my shed. It looks unused! I'm sure I had one fitted to a moped I owned in 1962. It was fitted in the HT line to help make a bigger spark at the plug so making the engine run sweeter.
-
I dont remember those Rob but I was only seven in 1962. I do rememebr the colour tune kits, I was given a new old stock one recently which I intend to try out on the Isetta some time. Some wonderfull things were peddled in Practical Mechanics magazine in those days, not many of which worked! I remember my dad using something called Piston seal in his worn out reliant engine, the car was drinking more oil than petrol but unfortunatly it didnt work.
-
Piston seal - wonderful.
I had a 1200cc MkI Cortina - smoked a bit and quite a lot out of the breather
When I decided to change the plugs I noticed they were only screwed-in half way?
Thats what you do when you first squirt-in the piston seal.
I thought I had been sold a dog and it was new engine time but instead I purchased a tube of Piston seal and followed the instructions to the letter, finally screwing the plugs fully home.
The engine stopped smoking and carried on for many miles, even a trip to Scotland.
I seem to remember one piston giving-up but I just replaced it with a piston and rod from a scrap engine in the breakers. Just took the sump off and pushed it in from below.
Would I use piston seal now? ..................I don't think so.
What about RedX in petrol (or to decoke in the plug holes overnight) and that thick stuff (STP?) you put in your oil + Molybdenum?
-
I'm glad you had more success with piston seal than my dad, mind you those old Reliant side valve engines were prone to head warping as well so the oil burning could have been caused by that the not the rings. Here's another thing from the past, Prussian blue to highlight the high spots on a warped or dodgy cylinder head, file them down and repeat until the blue is uniform all over, SIMPLES! also remember those little Y shaped brackets/clamps that took up the slack in ones stretched handbrake cable? Probably an MOT failure now! Flexible exhaust down pipes for Mini's and 1100's?
-
I dont remember those Rob but I was only seven in 1962. I do rememebr the colour tune kits, I was given a new old stock one recently which I intend to try out on the Isetta some time. Some wonderfull things were peddled in Practical Mechanics magazine in those days, not many of which worked! I remember my dad using something called Piston seal in his worn out reliant engine, the car was drinking more oil than petrol but unfortunatly it didnt work.
Showing your age Bob! My dad wasnt even born then, and now he's 50! (which is old ;D )
-
Colourtune: Still available. http://www.gunson.co.uk/tools.aspx?cat=673
Redex: Still available. http://www.holtsauto.com/products/group/additives/petrol#redex-petrol-treatment
STP: Still available. http://www.stp.com/products/oil-additives/oil-treatment/
Piston seal: Still available. http://www.holtsauto.com/products/group/repair-and-maintenance/maintenance#holts-piston-seal
You could get a shot of Redex per gallon of petrol for a penny in my local garage in the 1960s/70s but the pump attendant always let me have it for free.
I remember in the 1970s putting Redex in the plug holes of a Wolseley 6/110 leaving it in overnight to soak past the piston rings. Next day (Sunday) turning over the motor without the plugs in and covering the engine bay with the oil. Plugs in, started up. Nice pongy smoke everywhere so jumped in and drove up the road (A27 outside my home) for a mile or two. When I got back the cloud of smoke was still hanging over the road. It's amazing the neighbours never complained.
About the same time had a 1960 Hillman Minx with a crunchy gearbox. Thought I would 'cure' it by pouring in some STP. Wrong! It seized up solid. Couldn't clear it out so got another box from my local scrappy.
Cor! Motoring was fun in those days. ;D
-
Showing your age Bob! My dad wasnt even born then, and now he's 50! (which is old ;D )
Oh help! All you youngsters make me feel really old. :(
-
Showing your age Bob! My dad wasnt even born then, and now he's 50! (which is old ;D )
[/quote]
Cheeky young whipper snapper! ;)
-
One of my first jobs was Petrol Pump Attendant in Southchurch nr Southend.
16 years old and off to work on my Raleigh Runabout.
Every week a Rover 3400 would turn up and fill up with 5 star.
Lots of people had a shot of RedX.
There was a 2 stroke mix oil pump as well - just rotate it it to the right mix and give it a squirt into the tank - great for Wartbergs.
And Pink Paraffin.
No 'do it your self' in those days. Good old fashioned service from a spotty oik.
It was the early days of loyalty schemes and I had to put a rubber stamp on a sheet (customers) for every so many gallons.
The boss gave out little goodies once the customer had saved enough stamps. You had to get quite a few stamps for an 8 track.
Needless to say most of my friends had sheets and sheets of stamps. Just how much petrol does a moped use???
-
Anyone remember the Norton High Frequency Converter circa 1960s/70s? I've just found this one hidden in a box in my shed. It looks unused! I'm sure I had one fitted to a moped I owned in 1962. It was fitted in the HT line to help make a bigger spark at the plug so making the engine run sweeter.
Ah, a cunning bit of marketing which I think appears now as a Surefire. It is a selling you a gap in the HT lead. You can make this unit yourself by cutting your HT lead and making about a mm gap, having exposing a bit of core each end, before putting a bit of tape round it and perhaps a shot of glue gun for stiffness. The gap is jumped by the energy fired down the HT lead. To do this it has to jump the gap as high voltage. Thus already all high voltage it finds the second gap easier to jump. Still selling today to the gullible at car shows near you.
-
Showing your age Bob! My dad wasnt even born then, and now he's 50! (which is old ;D )
Cheeky young whipper snapper! ;)
[/quote]
Oops, I apologise, I was wrong. My dad was 1 then (for some reason I read 1960!)
Makes you feel a couple of years younger ;)
-
Piston Seal. Poor thing, should be ashamed of yourself! Yes I have used that product successfully. I think it really only works on low compression cars as it is a botch that wears off over time. A recognised tool of the dodgy motor seller. I used it to get rid of a Mini.
STP and its chums. Particularly good advertising and by association to winning and trendy peeps. Really it was an additive before the oil companies offered technically advanced lubricants. The selling ploy for dodgy gearbox was to wind ladies stockings into them. Used to take the play up well for a bit.
Flexi pipe on A series transverse. An attractive botch which did not solve a rocking engine. The dodge was to insert a bit of well fitting pipe into the exhaust end and up into the manifold and put the clamp on the flared joint. This would not move. If it did then attaching a further tie rod to the head onto the front of the car stopped it rocking on the mountings. By that time you might well have got rid of the poor manifold and clamp which was worth an extra 2 or 3 hp plus a better exhaust connection. Nothing wrong with the SU carb though.
Redex, never really had much to do with that but we are back to before oil companies put much in the way of additives in there products. Got a Redex injector, nice.
Colourtune, again never used one. Always favoured the Italian tune up of belting down the road after adjustment. The fastest setting would be 'tuned' right. Thus ultimately ended up with a Mini on twin Reece Fish that could spin its wheels in any gear and used about a gallon of fuel every 15 miles until it found the offside ditch about 50 yards beyond a well known corner on the downs at 2 o'clock in the morning. I had to sell the wreckage and good bits for a replacement car to get to work despite impressing my buds with an impressive performance. Would not say it was the last silly thing I did in a car but the cost of being an arse was well and truly learned and not repeated. Colourtune could have changed my life and I might be a mild mannered civil servant somewhere.
I raise you - Sparkrite electronic ignition, used the contacts and rode piggyback on the coil increasing the energy of the HT charge while not burning out the points. Even had a switch to turn it off. Yes, folks, it might decide not to work. Trabbi versions do not have a switch to turn them off and had a habit of melting. Ideal for a Schmitt or other single stroker really, unless you have two for your twin. Did that to my Goggo. Went well until it did not goggo at all. No Goggo likes a smartarse! It was that fav rave of the Goggo, holes in the top of the piston, burned through by the heat of the pre-combustion prior to the flame front converting the charge. This despite timing being bang correct. Goggos are rather sensitive to this so always have them timed up well.
-
ladies stockings al !! you should be ashamed of the sexism nowadays the use of mens stockings would be acceptable too
-
Does it ladder them?
-
well it didn't do mine any good ;) a new meaning for the word "GEAR" box eh
-
Best to use Syncromesh stockings of a neutral shade.
You can use whole bananas as well. Especially if you have time to fritter away.